I have the stock KTM aluminum bash plate on mine. It cracked from vibration (I'd like to say it was from riding hard, but it wasn't) in less than 2000 miles. The crack runs from the right side just behind the sport where KTM is cut into the plate and runs to the oil drain plug hole.

I would venture a guess as to say that the free hanging area behind the rear mounting bolts vibrated and caused the area to fatigue.

I am thinking of having it rewelded and modified to prevent it from happening again (because I'm cheap).

Ram1000 -- Can you post some pics of the Utah Sports plate and its mounting?

PackMule,

Here's a photo of the Flatland plate out of the box. Note the reinforced bulge located where the spin-on filter would be. I'll send more photos of it once I have time to put it on, but my first impression is that its worth the dosh.

I have the stock KTM aluminum bash plate on mine. It cracked from vibration (I'd like to say it was from riding hard, but it wasn't) in less than 2000 miles. The crack runs from the right side just behind the sport where KTM is cut into the plate and runs to the oil drain plug hole.

I would venture a guess as to say that the free hanging area behind the rear mounting bolts vibrated and caused the area to fatigue.

I am thinking of having it rewelded and modified to prevent it from happening again (because I'm cheap).

I'll take a picture of it when I get off work tonight.

I'd also add that aluminum fatigues easier than steel. So if you or anyone has had to bend or bang the KTM plate back into shape, this can only be done a limited number of times, and with each time, the plate is weakend.

Mike -- thanks for the pic. Keep us updated through the installation process!

Dave -- I'm liking that plate. A lot. Looks like the contender, at the moment. Was the mounting hardware incl. as part of the plate price, or did you have to order it seperately? Can you get an oil change done with it in place? (assuming it doesn't all just leak out...)

j/k

__________________Nate in N.E.

Yes, I have a Dakar problem -- that there are 50 weeks of the year without Dakar!

creeper is a wanker. as usual the wanker is correct. i do have a carbon skidplate that is very well made (thanks matey peeps btw.).

when it came time to run the alcan 5000 i removed it and installed the oem ktm plate on my 2002 640. i do trust the carbon piece, but the properties of carbon fibre don't make it too useful after one good hard hit. aluminium on the other hand can sustain many hits without weakening.

loaded opinion? run carbon for bling. run aluminium if you want to run hard without changing out your skid plate.

Nice plate but I want to be clear that I'm looking for a plate to protect a LC4 Adventure and in particular, protect the area where the spin-on filter is. Not sure the Utah plate will do this.

They have a plate specifically for the LC4 with oil filters on the frame. This one is for the SXC and SMC models with no oil filter at that point. I don't know how much they look alike. I like the UTAH plate because it is brake bent at multiple locations following the frame around the engine. I cut the aluminum side plate down on the left side of teh motor to match the right side for looks. It was about an inch higher when I got it.

I took a picture of the crack in mine. You can see it fatigues right behind the strong atrea where it attaches to the frame and where the verticle part of the plate ends. That flat area just sticks out to the rear and vibrates.

Was the mounting hardware incl. as part of the plate price, or did you have to order it seperately? Can you get an oil change done with it in place? (assuming it doesn't all just leak out...)

Mounting hardware was included. I used a single part number on my order.

I'm pretty sure that one could do an oil change without removing the plate. i.e. there's enough space for tools. However I'm leery about the plate catching the oil on its way out, leading to a huge mess... I haven't been inclined to leave it on to find out. It's easy enough to take off.